regulate

verb

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reg·u·late | \ ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt

also ˈrā- \

regulated; regulating

Definition of regulate

transitive verb

1a : to govern or direct according to rule

b(1) : to bring under the control of law or constituted authority

(2) : to make regulations for or concerning regulate the industries of a country

2 : to bring order, method, or uniformity to regulate one's habits

3 : to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of regulate the pressure of a tire

Other Words from regulate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about regulate

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Other Words from regulate

regulative \ ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tiv

also ˈrā- \ adjective

regulatory \ ˈre-gyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē

also ˈrā- \ adjective

Examples of regulate in a Sentence

The dam regulates the flow of water into the river. We need better laws to regulate the content of the Internet. Laws have been made to regulate working conditions. The government regulates how much lead may be found in our water supply. The department regulates foreign trade.

Recent Examples on the Web Before Trump, California had lost its power to regulate emissions only once before, under Bush. — Anna M. Phillips, Los Angeles Times, "EPA to restore California’s power over car pollution rules, reversing Trump," 26 Apr. 2021 The Eastern District of Texas in February sided with landlords in agreeing the CDC did not have the power to regulate landlord-tenant relationships. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, "Memphis faces eviction crisis after court strikes down federal ban," 23 Apr. 2021 Court case over: Biden administration gives California back its power to regulate vehicle emissions. — Taylor Kate Brown, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bay Briefing: 160,000 students left California schools, and they may not be coming back," 23 Apr. 2021 If approved by Baltimore voters, local police control would likely give Baltimore’s mayor and City Council greater power to regulate the department. — Bryn Stole, baltimoresun.com, "Gov. Hogan vetoes key parts of Maryland police reform package; override by General Assembly likely," 9 Apr. 2021 McFadden said the bureau does not have the power to regulate state Guards because the U.S. Constitution gives states authority over their units. — USA Today, "The National Guard welcomes and promotes women. That is, until they report a sexual assault.," 31 Mar. 2021 McFadden said the bureau does not have the power to regulate state Guards because the U.S. Constitution gives states authority over their units. — jsonline.com, "The National Guard welcomes and promotes women. That is, until they report a sexual assault.," 17 Mar. 2021 The federal lawsuit, led by Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt of Missouri, argues Biden violated the separation of powers clause in the Constitution because Congress, not the president, has the power to regulate. — Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, "12 Republican-led states sue President Biden over climate change order," 9 Mar. 2021 The Commerce Clause refers to the section of the US Constitution which gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "Congress is again discussing reparations for slavery. It's a complex and thorny issue," 18 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.